Leave
by Lucy Stephens
Summary: Set 4 years after the end of Season One. HYDRA has fallen, SHIELD has been rebuilt, Ward has returned to the team as an active & trusted member (use your imagination to fill in the blanks of how & why that happens), & SkyeWard is finally a couple. SkyeWard fluff.
1. Chapter 1 - Boston

Chapter One - Boston

Rolling over, Skye sighed with contentment as she looked at the ridiculously good-looking man next to her. He was still sleeping and looked extremely peaceful. She debated whether to mess with him or not. She knew all his ticklish spots and decided it was too good of an opportunity to miss; she rarely woke up before he does. Wiggling down a few inches under the covers, she softly scraped her big toe nail along the bottom of his foot. Agent Grant Ward let out a small groan and buried his face further into his pillow. '_That's odd_,' Skye thought, _'Ward is usually so easy to wake up.'_ More determined now, she snaked her hand under the covers, found his naked waist, and quickly wriggled her fingers along his sides. Ward gave a muffled shout and lifted his head up quickly from his face down position.

"Hey now," he said, grabbing her hands in his to stop her assault, "be nice." He rolled over onto his back, pulled her across his chest, and kissed her chastely before settling back down on his pillow. "I thought you wanted to sleep in today?" Ward asked, running his fingers gently up and down Skye's bare spine. She shivered at his touch. "I did. And we did. It's almost 9. That's sleeping *way in* for you." "Wow. How the hell did I sleep that long?" Ward asked, surprised. "Oh honey," Skye smirked, "we might have been in bed a while but you sure didn't sleep that long."

Ward chuckled & squeezed her waist a little tighter. "Oh I remember, trust me." He pulled her a few inches further up him & captured her lips in a searing kiss. Skye moaned softly and returned the kiss with equal passion. She let herself get lost in his embrace for a few moments before pulling away.

"What do we have on the docket for today?" Ward ignored her question and continued his kisses down her neck. "Waaaaaaard," Skye protested as he lavished her throat, "we're never going to leave this bed if you keep that up." "I know," he murmured against her neck, "and I'm fine with that." "But we only have three days. We can have massive amounts of sex on the bus. We *can't* explore the city on the bus."

Coulson had given the team a brief leave after a particularly difficult mission on the east coast. The plane had sustained some damage during their getaway and was in desperate need of repairs. So here they were – bus parked at the Boston SHIELD base, agents on leave, and three days without orders from Director Coulson. Skye was in heaven. They'd immediately found a hotel in downtown Boston, ordered room service, and taken advantage of the king size bed. Truth be told, Ward was just too damn tall for sex in a twin bed and Skye hadn't yet managed to talk him into sex anywhere else on the plane. He was still too reserved and worried about someone walking in on them. Skye hadn't had the guts to tell him the whole team had already complained about how loud they were. Oops.

"Come on, lets share a shower and then we can decide what we're gonna do today," Skye said, climbing out of bed and stretching. Ward admired her slim, naked body before following suit.

* * *

"Okay, what am I wearing?" Skye asked, walking into the bathroom in just her bra and panties. Ward just stood there, tooth brush hanging out of his mouth, eyes wide, and admired her. "Hello? Ward, hi? Eyes are up here bud." Ward took a moment to spit out his toothpaste before answering, "If you don't want me to stare, you should put some clothes on. Until then," he grabbed her around the waist and pulled her to him, "I'm going to admire what's mine." He nuzzled her neck and slid one hand down her waist to squeeze her ass. "Grant," she moaned. He continued kissing her neck, working his way up to her mouth. She turned her head and captured his mouth with her own.

"EWW YOU HAVE TOOTHPASTE MOUTH!" Skye pulled away quickly and spit in the sink. "Gross. Rinse your mouth out, then figure out what I need to wear." "Me?" He shouted to her retreating form. "How should I know what you're wearing?" "You grew up around here. I just assumed you'd have made some sort of plan. And whatever the plan is will tell me what I need to wear," her voice called from the other room. "Just plan for some...exploring. Just comfortable walking stuff." Ward knew exactly where he *wanted* to take Skye but hadn't summoned the courage to talk to her about it yet.

Truth was, Grant Ward did grow up around here, about 15 miles southwest of them. A small Massachusetts town called Dover. Old money mostly. Agent Triplett was right when he said his family was like the cable version of the Kennedys – more fights on Monday morning alone than any season of the Real Housewives. He'd come to accept his past over the years. Coulson had made seeing a psychologist one of his conditions on Ward returning to the team. One of his *many* conditions. And Ward was more than happy to comply. Even now, with Garrett dead for four years, Ward still had the urge to blindly follow all authority. He was getting better, though, at determining whom he should follow and whom he shouldn't. Coulson and Skye were the biggest factors in his recovery.

"Ward? What's up? You look worried." Skye's soft voice broke him out of his reverie. He felt her small, soft hand on his shoulder. He hadn't realized he was leaning on the bathroom counter while lost in his thoughts. He straightened up and looked at her in the bathroom mirror. "I do have something planned for today, if you're willing to drive a little bit." "Of course," she smiled at him but hesitated slightly, "Are you sure you're okay? We don't have to stay in Boston if you don't want. I know this is pretty much your least favorite place ever. We could take a train to New York? Or Philly? Hell, we could catch a flight to Hawaii for all I care. I just want to spend my time off with you. It doesn't matter where it is." Ward leaned into her, resting his forehead against hers. "Boston is fine. And I really do have somewhere I want to take you."

* * *

An hour later, they were finally dressed, caffeinated (thanks to the Starbucks across the street), and headed out of town in their SHIELD-loaned car. It'd been nearly twenty years since Ward had been in this area but he still knew the roads by heart. He'd often wondered what had become of his family. Did they rebuild the house he'd set fire to? Were his siblings all still alive? Were his parents still married? Was Gramsy okay?

"Hey, Ward. You have got to stop zoning out. You're starting to worry me." Skye once again pulled him out of his thoughts, her voice filled with concern. "I'm sorry. It's just being back here…it's got me thinking…about everything." Skye reached over and took his free hand. "I have no idea where my family is. I don't even know if they're alive…" He trailed off. Skye gave his hand a reassuring squeeze. "Is that where we're headed? To see your hometown?" "Yes and no. I don't think I could handle seeing the town. And I definitely don't think I could handle seeing where we lived." Skye was confused. "Ooooookay...so where are we going?" "You'll see," is all she got in return.


	2. Chapter 2 - Lunch

Chapter Two - Lunch

70 miles later they pulled onto Main Street in Hyannis. "Hyannisport? Seriously, Ward?" Skye was stunned. "No, just Hyannis right now. We'll get to the Sound in a little bit." Skye couldn't help but gawk at some of the houses they had passed. "Please tell me you didn't grow up here. Did you?" Ward couldn't help but laugh at the look on her face. "No, I didn't grow up here. But this is where we used to spend part of our summer with Gramsy." "Did she work here or something?" Ward smiled, "No, her summer home is about a mile and a half from here. Right on the water. It's nice, you'll like it." Her jaw dropped. Skye was officially speechless.

Ward maneuvered the car into a parking spot just off Main Street. "I thought we'd grab some lunch. Walk around for a bit. Pretend to be tourists." "I *am* a tourist Ward, even if you aren't. But yeah, you know me, I love touristy crap." Ward took her hand and led her back to the more crowded street. It was bustling with all sorts of people. Ward stopped to give Skye a minute to take it all in. People strolled by with shopping bags, a string quartet played in front of what Skye thought was the Post Office, and the sidewalks were crammed with people enjoying lunch at the various restaurants.

"This is amazing. I love it!" "I knew you would. Lets start with lunch first though, before you get hangry." "I *do not* get hangry," Skye argued, realizing she hadn't had anything since the cheese danish with her coffee. Ward just looked at her pointedly. "Okay. Fine. I get hangry. So feed me." "I know the perfect place."

Ward took her hand again and steered her across the street to a small restaurant with a red awning and tables lining the sidewalk. Once they were seated on the sidewalk with drinks ordered, Ward couldn't help but smile at her. Skye noticed his staring, "What?" "Nothing. Just admiring what's mine again." Skye gave him a dazzling smile, "I'll always be yours." Ward opened his mouth to respond but the waitress chose that moment to show up for their order.

* * *

Once lunch was finished and plates cleared, Skye leaned over the table and took Ward's hands. "Okay. Time to spill. What else was going on this morning?" Ward sighed and looked down at their hands. "This area is where it all started for me. Boston, Dover, Hyannis. I have so many memories of these places. Some good but most of them really, really terrible. And I wanted to share some of them with you while we're here. I just didn't know how to introduce the idea."

Grant Ward had really done an about face in terms of opening up. But every now and then, Skye could tell he was holding back, especially with regards to his past. "Grant," even after everything, Skye still rarely used his first name, "hey, look at me." He forced his eyes up to meet hers. "I love you. All of you. Everything we've been through is part of our story. Part of how we got to where we are now. And while it might not be the best love story out there, it's still a better love story than Twilight." He threw his head back and laughed at that, remembering the one random night years ago FitzSimmons had convinced them and Trip to have a few beers and watch _Twilight_ with them. They'd all agreed it was horrible and 'Still a better love story than Twilight' had become a common joke on the bus since then.

"But in all seriousness. This is you. This is your history. And I want to know all of you…good and bad." Ward was continually amazed at how remarkable Skye was. He'd put her through hell through the years but she'd remained loyal and loving through it all. He couldn't believe how lucky he was.

"Okay, enough serious talk. What's next?" Skye looked up and down the street, craning her neck around people trying to see. "Let's walk around, go in the shops, check out the JFK Museum, grab some ice cream," Ward said, signaling the waitress for their check. "Sounds great. And yes, definitely ice cream."


	3. Chapter 3 - House

Chapter Three – House

They spent the better part of the afternoon strolling hand-in-hand down Main Street, going in and out of everything they passed. Skye got her ice cream. She also picked up a few trinkets for souvenirs for the rest of the team. They explored the JFK Museum, took a selfie with the famous Main Street clock, and rode the Cape Cod Carousel.

Finally, when it was nearing dinnertime, Ward suggested a break, "How about we stop in the market and grab a few things for a picnic on the beach?" "Sounds awesome," Skye grinned, "I think there's a blanket in the car." They meandered their way through the crowd to the local market. "How about just some premade things from the deli?" Ward suggested. "It's easiest." But Skye had already wondered off in search of junk food. Ward sighed and rolled his eyes. That was one thing that would never change, her incessant love of gummi bears.

Ward strode over to the deli and selected two sandwiches, a tub of potato salad, and a bag of baby carrots. If she insisted on gummi bears, he could at least try to talk her into some vegetables as well. "Nope, don't bother. I'm on vacation. You can't make me eat healthy here." Skye walked up behind him, her arms full. "What is all that crap? Gummi bears, Mallomars, a six pack?" Ward took inventory of the things she had. "If you eat like this for three days, you're going to be sick. Your body isn't used to so much junk. You'll puke the next time you try to train." "Vacation," was Skye's only reply.

Once checked out and Ward loaded down with one heavy grocery sack, they made their way back to the car. "So where's the best part of the beach for a picnic? Something secluded right?" Skye said, grinning mischievously. "Kind of…I was hoping to show you Gramsy's house. It has a private beach. It's a great place to watch the sun set." "That sounds perfect."

* * *

It was a short drive to Gramsy's house. Skye noticed the houses were more spread out in this area than most of the sound. They pulled up in front of one house and Ward stopped to look at it. It was older with shingle style siding and green shutters framing the windows. An adorable white picket fence surrounded the house. In the distance, Skye saw the sparsely wooded yard slope down to meet the beach. It was breathtaking.

"This seems like an amazing place to get to spend the summer." "It was…most of the time," Ward gave her a small smile, "Come on, lets go see the beach." Ward got out of the car, popped the trunk, and collected their picnic supplies, blanket included. "But Ward, wait. Do you even know who lives here? What if someone's home?" "Come on Skye, live a little," Ward smirked and walked up the front walk and around to the side of the house. "What has gotten in to him?" Skye muttered to herself before following suit.

Skye found him spreading out the blanket just passed the trees on the edge of the beach. She helped him arrange their picnic supplies before lying down beside him, resting her head on his chest. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders & placed a delicate kiss on her forehead. "This is amazing. I can't believe how beautiful it is," Skye murmured, the waves lapping at the sand in the background. "Have you ever been in the Atlantic?" "Nope. Other than flying over it, I've never even seen it until now. I didn't exactly take many vacations when I was little." "Let's fix that then." Ward sat up, pulled off his shoes and socks, and got to his feet. "Come on, the water'll feel amazing." He held his hand out to her. Skye took it and pulled herself up. She toed off her sandals before following him down the sand to the water.

"It's so warm!" Skye exclaimed, letting the waves roll over her feet. "Of course, it's late July. It's hot as hell out here. It'll get a little chilly once the sun goes down though," Ward explained. He took her hand and pulled her further into the water, wading until they were both knee deep. He released her hand and slid his arms around her waist, pulling her against him. Her breath hitched in her chest as she looked up at him, the early evening sun reflecting off his sunglasses. Sometimes she couldn't believe how gorgeous he was. And that face was all hers to stare at as much as she wanted. Yup, she was one lucky girl.

"Now who's staring?" Ward said with a chuckle. He leaned down and captured her lips in a kiss. Skye responded with enthusiasm, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him into her further. She moaned a little as his tongue assaulted hers. Damn, he was a good kisser. And he knew exactly what she liked. Ward let his hands wander up and down her back and over her hips. He slipped one hand up the back of her shirt, grazing the sensitive skin slightly. Skye gasped as his hands laid a trail of fire over her skin.

Ward chose that moment to pull back and Skye whined in protest. "Come on, let's have our picnic and watch the sunset." Even here, all alone on the beach, Ward was still worried about someone catching them. "Fine," Skye groaned, "but you can't rile me up like that and just leave me hanging." "Oh don't worry," Ward smirked at her, "let's just let it get a little darker first."

* * *

An hour or so later, dinner finished, some drinks enjoyed, and the sun setting slowly in the background, the couple lazed peacefully side by side on the blanket. "Skye?" "Mmmm?" Skye replied sleepily. Ward rolled over to face her. His voice hesitant, "Can I show you one more thing while we're here?" Skye opened her eyes to look at him. "Of course. Does that mean I have to get up?" "Yeah. Come on lazy butt." Ward stood up and pulled Skye to her feet once more. Taking her hand, he started walking back toward the house. He guided her along the outside of the white picket fence and towards the trees on the far side of the property. In the distance, towards the edge of the property, Skye could make out the outline of a well. As they got closer, it dawned on her what Ward had wanted to show her.

"I was seven the first time it happened. Maynard had always been a bully. Picking on Joseph and me. He took after my father in that way." Ward turned his back on the well to lean against it, crossing his arms over his chest in the process. "We'd come down here the first weekend Gramsy had the house open. The weather was still chilly at that point…so the water was pretty cold."

"Joseph knew how to swim, of course. We all did. Growing up around here, you pretty much had to. But he was scared…*I* was scared."

"I think he'd hit his head on the way down. He kept going under the water. I was so worried he wouldn't come back up. And I just stood there."

"Maynard just stood back and watched me. He wasn't trying to hurt Joseph. Not really. He was trying to hurt me. Break me. Show me *he* was in charge. Just like my father."

"I hated him. In that moment, for the first time, I *hated* him."

"It only got worse as we got older. My parents paid even less attention to us, which gave him more freedom to torment us."

"I tried to be the protector Joseph needed. I tried to keep him away from Maynard. But there's only so many places you can hide."

"Lucy was the lucky one. The oldest so she got out of the house first. Chose a west coast college and never looked back. I hated her, too. Resented her for getting away when I couldn't."

"When I turned 15, my parents decided it was time I stopped beating up Joseph. His injuries were escalating and it was getting to the point where they were hard to explain to people. So they sent me to an expensive military school in Indiana."

"At first I was relieved. I got out of my parents' house. I got away from Maynard. I was convinced Joseph was safe now that I was gone. I never imagined it would just get worse. That Maynard would take my absence out on Joseph."

"He called me one day. Joseph did. When I was 16. Maynard had beaten him up so bad he'd broken his arm, his nose, and three ribs. When my mother took him to the ER, she said he'd fallen down the stairs. The ER thought he'd fallen down the stairs a lot over the years."

"He begged me to come home. I couldn't. I couldn't do it. I knew he was still hurting and I knew it was my fault. But I couldn't protect him. I never could."

"So I….'borrowed'…a car, drove the thousand miles back to the house, and tried to take care of things."

"I knew he was in the house when I started the fire. I planned it that way. My parents were out, though. Drunk at the country club, I think. I made sure Joseph was away, too. I'd never wanted to hurt Joseph."

"I didn't think I'd be caught so quickly. My plan was to drive to Canada. Back then you could go in and out of Canada without a passport. So I was just going to run to the other side of the border. Lay low. Figure things out from there."

"I'd swiped some cash from the house before the fire. So I could manage for a bit on my own. Dover's a small town though. Someone down the street saw the suspicious car leaving the house. Called the police. I didn't even make it to Boston before I was pulled over."

"Since I was underage, I started out in juvie. My parents pressed charges. Wouldn't help me with a lawyer. Maynard petitioned the court to have me tried as an adult. My life was pretty much over. I didn't realize it was about to get even worse."

"That's when Garrett found me. Broke me out of juvie. Tossed me in the woods for five years to learn to fend for myself. Got me into the Academy."

Ward finally turned to face Skye, who had silent tears streaming down her face.

"I've never told anyone the full story before. You know Garrett found me in juvie. But that's why I was there. I tried to kill my brother."

Skye took a step to him and wrapped her arms around his torso. He slipped his arms around her waist and buried his face in her hair.

"There are still times I feel like a monster. It's getting better though. Between the psychologist, Coulson….*you*, it's getting better."

Skye pulled back and looked him in the eyes. "You're *not* a monster."

"I know. I've made peace with my past. I know I can't change the things that have already happened. I know that from the present forward, I can only show you and the team how much I care. And hope you trust me in return."

"We do. We all do. And I love you. I'll always love you," Skye cupped his cheek and brushed a tear from the corner of his eye, "It'll take much more than a SHIELD civil war to drag me away from you again." Ward cracked a small smile at that.

"Come on," Ward's voice changed moods quickly, "I believe I promised not to leave you hanging…" With a sexy smirk, he took her hand and started pulling her back towards their abandoned beach blanket.


	4. Chapter 4 - Hanging

Chapter Four – Hanging

Before they could even make it back to the beach, Ward had her breathless and wet, pressed up against a tree in the backyard. Their shirts both tossed carelessly somewhere nearby. The sun all but hidden beyond the horizon.

Skye moaned and pressed her hands into his back, crushing them together harder. He released her mouth and trailed kisses down her jawline to her neck. Skye continued to moan as her hands traveled around to the front of his khaki shorts. She let one hand travel south, cupping and squeezing him through his pants. "Fuck. Skye," he breathed, his voice husky with desire.

Ward pulled back, put his hands on her upper arms, and spun her around, pulling her flush against his chest so they were spooning. He made quick work of her shorts button and zipper and slipped one hand into her panties, teasing her with his fingers.

"Oh god, Grant," she struggled to say, pressing her ass into his bulging erection. He moaned into her neck, rubbing her faster, his other hand holding her hipbone, pressing her into him. His fingers continued their movements while his lips attacked her neck.

Suddenly, a floodlight lit up the backyard, coming from the house. "Who's there?!" came the voice of an elderly woman. Ward and Skye both froze in shock. "What are you doing on my property? GET OUT OF HERE." Ward quickly pulled his hands away from Skye and spun around.

"Gramsy?" Ward called out, astonished. He took a tentative step forward, putting his hand up to shield his eyes from the bright light. "Who are you? How do you know that name?" Ward continued to walk forward until he could see the face of the woman yelling at him. Gramsy. His Gramsy. Was here. Was okay. He couldn't believe it. "Gramsy," his voice cracked, "it's me. It's Grant."

"Grant? No. My Grant is dead. Has been for 19 years," her voice cold. Grant continued walking towards her, climbing the back porch steps, and stopping directly in front of her. Her eyes found his face and recognition dawned on her suddenly. "Grant…Grant. How?" She moved to him and took his hands in hers. "Where have you been all this time?" "It's a…*really* long story. But there's someone I want you to meet."

Skye stepped forward, fully clothed, and handed Ward his shirt. He looked down and realized suddenly that he was half naked. He quickly pulled his shirt on and held his hand out to Skye, pulling her forward for an introduction. "Gramsy, this is Skye. Skye, this is my Gramsy."


	5. Chapter 5 - Questions

Chapter Five - Questions

Grant Ward sat in stunned silence on the couch, Skye by his side. Gramsy was in the kitchen making coffee. He was pretty sure that was just her excuse to give everyone a moment to let their mind wrap around the last few minutes. It's not every day you have your girlfriend half naked, hand down her pants, and your long lost grandmother catches you. Ward definitely needed a minute to breathe.

A few minutes later Gramsy emerged from the kitchen carrying a tray laid out with coffee and cookies. She set it on the table and took a seat in a chair opposite them. "Okay Grant. Talk. Where have you been for the past twenty years?" That was one thing Ward always loved about his Gramsy. She was a no nonsense, straight to the point kind of woman. His personality definitely took after her.

Ward glanced at Skye who gave him a slight nod. "Well…I assume you know about the fire?" Gramsy closed her eyes and nodded. "You know I disappeared from juvie?" Another nod. "While I was there, I was…recruited into a government agency. I went to a training academy and ever since have been traveling the globe working on…projects…for this agency." '_That seemed like a decent explanation_,' Ward thought, '_It's the truth without all the details._'

Gramsy looked at him skeptically. "You're a spy?" She never was one to beat around the bush. "Yeah." "Why you? How'd they get you out of the detention center? What do you mean 'projects'? Why couldn't you contact us? Why couldn't you contact *me*?" Gramsy was also never one to take half-truths.

"It's complicated." "Grant Douglas Ward, don't you give me that. We thought you were *dead*. We buried an empty casket in your grave. Your grandfather and I were heart broken!" Ward's eyes shot up at that. "I have a grave?" "Of course. So many years went by. We finally gave up hope that you would ever come home. So we buried you." Ward was stunned. He had a grave. Skye gave his hand a reassuring squeeze. "What about the rest of the family? Where are his parents? His brothers? Sister?" He could always count on Skye to know what he wanted to hear.

"Your parents are fine. We don't speak much anymore. They live in Hartford. After the fire, the disappearance, and everything they couldn't stay here. So they moved on. Maynard went with them and Joseph stayed with me. Finished high school. Went to Harvard. He's an attorney now. Getting married in October. She's a sweet girl."

"I haven't seen Lucille since your funeral. Your disappearance hit her pretty hard. She sends a Christmas card every year with pictures of her kids but we don't hear much else from her."

"What about Maynard?" Ward asked.

"The maid found Maynard one day. About 13 years ago. He was still living with your parents in Hartford. He'd tried college," Gramsy explained, shaking her head. "Your father gave Yale a nice size gift to get him in. But he never did have your brains."

"He eventually failed out. Your father still had him working in the company though. He hated it." She trailed off. "He still had the needle in his arm when the maid found him."

"He's buried next to you."

* * *

Ward leaned over the bathroom sink, hands gripping the edge. Did he really want Maynard dead? This was different, looking at his death from the other side of it. For years he'd told himself Maynard deserved to die. He should have succeeded in his arson/murder attempt. He always told himself he had failed. And failure was a weakness. But now. When he actually was dead. Was it necessary? He'd forgiven him. It took a lot. A lot of time talking it out. Thinking it over. And he did, he forgave him. Ward knew Maynard got the same shit from his parents that he did growing up, maybe even worse. He just obviously handled it differently. And really an angry 16 year old stealing a car and burning a house down in an attempt to cross off his brother was a rather drastic overcompensation. Teenage hormones are a funny thing though. It seemed rational at the time.

"Ward?" Skye knocked on the bathroom door. "Are you okay? You've been in there a while." Ward took the hand towel and dried off his face. He replaced it on the bar and turned to open the door. "Hey. Crazy day, huh?" Skye gave him a sad smile. She was right. When they'd left the hotel this morning, he'd never imagined they'd be catching up with Gramsy that evening. "Come on, you've got to get back in there before Gramsy grills me more. She's still protective of her little Granimal." Ward chuckled at the nickname. He always was her favorite.

"So, Skye tells me you work together. That's how you met." They both sat back down on the couch. "Uh yeah. I, uh, trained her." Gramsy pursed her lips and looked at him skeptically. "It's just a really long story. And most of it's classified." "That's what Skye said." Skye looked at her sheepishly. "So where do you two live now. Do you live together?" Ward glanced at Skye. "Well actually, we live on a plane. It's our team's base. We have a small apartment in LA but haven't seen it in months." "Yeah, not since, what?" Skye thought out loud, "Since November right? After the last mission in Moscow?" "Moscow?" Gramsy exclaimed. Ward shot a 'stop talking' look at Skye. "Uh yeah, Moscow. We had some meetings to attend."

"Well it sounds like this job keeps you very busy. How often does it bring you to New England?" "We're in New York occasionally. Usually every other month or so. DC more often. This is our first time in Massachusetts though." "How long are you here for? I *insist* on seeing you again before you jet off to somewhere new." "Well…." Ward began. Did he really want to get back into all this? Yes, he'd accepted his past but a big part of that was because it was gone. Did he want to dive back into all these memories again? "We're here until Saturday morning. We're actually on leave, so we have some free time the next two days," Skye replied, taking the initiative and making the decision for him. She smiled at him, knowing what his internal struggle was over. "And where are you two staying while you're here?" "Ames Hotel, downtown. A coworker recommended it when we got here," Skye explained. "And actually, it's getting late so we should really be heading back," Ward said, getting to his feet. "Grant. It's been so long. Please. Let's have dinner tomorrow. We can talk some more." He looked at her pleading face and nodded slowly. They exchanged phone numbers and Gramsy promised to make a reservation and call tomorrow with details.

She walked them to the door. "I can't tell you how glad I am you're okay." Gramsy pulled him into a long hug. He tried to put as much of an apology into it as he could. She finally released him and turned to Skye. "And you dear, it's so nice to meet you." She pulled a surprised Skye into a hug. "I'm glad Grant's had someone there for him. He always was a loner." She whispered something else into Skye's ear but Ward couldn't hear it.

Finally, after their goodbyes were made, they stepped out of the house. As they walked towards the car, Skye suddenly stopped and turned to Ward, "Wait, all of our stuff is still on the beach!" Ward looked down at his still barefoot feet. "Wow, I've really been spacing out today." He laughed and jogged back to their blanket. A few minutes later he emerged from the shadows, stuff wrapped up in the blanket. "Come on, let's head back," Skye said, "I'm exhausted."


	6. Chapter 6 - Go

Chapter Six – Go

Upon returning to the hotel, Ward had to rouse a sleeping Skye from the front seat of the car, "Come on, babe. We're back. Let's get to bed." Skye muttered something inaudible while Ward handed the keys over to the valet.

They eventually made their way inside and up to their room. Skye collapsed on the bed as soon as Ward got the door open.

* * *

The next morning, Ward lay back on his pillow; Skye sprawled across his bare chest, drawing circles on him with her fingers.

"I don't think dinner with Gramsy is a good idea. I don't want to go back there. It's over. Let's keep it over." Skye propped herself up on an elbow and looked him in the eyes. "Why?"

"Why? Because that Grant Ward is gone. Dead and buried. There's even a grave."

"Exactly." Ward gave her a quizzical look. "You've changed. That Grant Ward is gone. The Grant Ward *I know* is brave and loving and sentimental and loves to joke around and laugh and smile. The Grant Ward I know loves *terrible* puns."

"Hey! My puns are awesome." Skye rolled her eyes at him, "Sure they are honey."

Skye reached one hand up to cup his cheek. "The Grant Ward I know leaves love notes on my pillow and knows that I like my sandwiches cut in triangles. The Grant Ward I know rubs my shoulders when my jackass SO makes me train too hard. The Grant Ward I know stands up for himself…and others."

"The Grant Ward I know wouldn't run and hide from something difficult. That Grant Ward is gone. You've changed. And you say it all the time…but I think it's time you finally believe yourself when you say it. It's time you finally accept the fact that you *are* good. You are a good man." Skye brushed a tear off his cheek.

"Before we left Gramsy's house, she told me something. 'Please don't let me lose him again.' She misses you. And the Grant Ward I know, wouldn't put her through that again. So let's have dinner with her."

Grant Ward smiled at her. "You're right." He nodded. "Let's have dinner with Gramsy."

"And we'll go from there."

Fin


End file.
